Man uses forklift to get crushed car out of sand in Port Aransas

A car that became buried by sand during Hurricane Harvey in Port Aransas was taken out using a forklift. The car may have been crushed by trucks driving over it while it was buried on the beach.
Alexandria Rodriguez/Caller-Times

Sand remains on a red Honda Prelude after it was buried by sand on a Port Aransas beach after Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Aug. 25, 2017.(Photo: Contributed photo)

David Villarreal-Balderas spent about an hour and a half getting a buried car out of the sand at a beach in Port Aransas after the man who left it there requested help retrieving it on Facebook.

Villarreal-Balderas used a forklift to retrieve the red Honda Prelude on Saturday.

The car, which belongs to a man named Chris Burns, appears to have been further damaged while it was buried by vehicles driving over it and crushing it.

Port Aransas police officer Jason Atwater said the car was left at the beach before Hurricane Harvey hit and became buried in sand during the storm. He said it was buried deep enough in the sand that it would have been possible for other vehicles to drive over it.

Villarreal-Balderas said Burns, who left the car on the beach, made a post on the RGV sand and mud recovery group on Facebook asking for someone to get his car out of the sand. Although the owner of David's Pavers does not know Burns personally, he was able to volunteer his time to fulfill the request, as much of his work is done in Port Aransas, he said.

"When I was going to get the car out, I did talk to local (police) and state troopers on getting it out. Just to ensure that no one would get hurt when yanking it out of beach," Villarreal-Balderas said. "Plus, it does mess up our beaches leaking oil and gas."

After retrieving the crushed car, he left it on the side of Beach Access Road 1 near the Palmilla Golf Club, he said and warned Burns to pick it up soon or he could face impound fees.

Burns created a GoFundMe Page with Spring Branch listed as a location to raise money for legal fees or another vehicle.

A red Honda Prelude is covered in sand and sustained significant damage after it was left on the beach in Port Aransas before Hurricane Harvey hit the city.(Photo: Contributed photo)

According to a post on the page, Burns bought the Honda from a friend after his a previous car was having issues. Burns fixed the Honda, which was having motor trouble, and took a trip with a friend to the beach, the post states.

"While down there my transmission gave out and with no truck or the funds to pay an outrageous tow bill I had to leave for the time being (about a week)," the post reads.

A forklift is used to remove a red Honda Prelude from the beach in Port Aransas. The vehicle was left on the beach before Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the city.(Photo: Contributed photo)

Burns could not go back for the car as he started a new full-time job, according to the post.

"Then pictures and post surfaced of my car stuck in the sand where people decided to crush and run over my car," the post reads.

After it was removed from the beach, a red Honda Prelude was left on Beach Access Road 1. The car was left on the beach before Hurricane Harvey hit on Aug. 25, 2017.(Photo: Contributed photo)

A red Honda Prelude was buried in the sand at the beach in Port Aransas after Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Coast on Aug. 25, 2017.(Photo: Contributed photo)

Villarreal-Balderas said both the people who ran over the car and Burns are at fault.

"We are in an area of recovery. Those idiots that ran over it should be ticketed for that, including Chris for abandoning a vehicle on our beaches," Villarreal-Balderas said.

He also said Burns didn't have insurance on the car.

Atwater said Monday no reports have been made involving the car and it has not been impounded.

A red Honda Prelude is removed from the beach by a forklift in Port Aransas on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.(Photo: Contributed Photo)